Atomizing water-supply means for internal-combustion engines.



B. B. BLOCK.

ATOMIZI NG WATER SUPPLY MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

v APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 916- 7 1,21 1,665 Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

l6 /6 23 I [42 m1? I I j LL I I I ll [/7 venlor I Benjamin B, BZac/c a/l/zz 1M4 BENJAMIN B. BLOCK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ATOMIZING WATER-SUPPLY MEANS INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9, 1917,

Application filed April 3, 1916. Serial No. 88,572.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. BLOCK, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, new and useful Atomizing Water-Supply Means for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supplying water to the charge or mixture of gases in internal combustion engines, and an important object of the invention is to provide for supplying such water in such manner that it will become fully distributed throughout the charge or mixture of gases and will be fully utilized in'the operation of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide for supplying water in regulated manner according to the requirements of the engine.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of my invention, and referring thereto,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the atomizing inlet valve for the water supply. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the manifold of an engine showing the application of my invention thereto.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the atomizing inlet valve there shown comprises a frame member or fitting 1 having a screw portion 2 adapted to screw into a suitable opening, for example, in the top of the manifold as shownin Fig. 3 in such manner that the interior bore or passage within said fitting is in communication with the interior of the manifold or other part to which said fitting is attached. A valve casing 3 is connected with the fitting 1, for example, by a screw threaded boss 4: on said casing screwing into the upper end of the fitting 1, said valve casing having an interior bore 5 communicating with the passage 6 in the interior fitting 1 through a valve opening 7 having a valve seat 8 for a needle valve member 9 which works through a stuffing box 10 on the valve casing. Said valve casing is provided with a lateral inlet 11 communicating with the bore 5, and with a water supply pipe 12 connected to any suitable water supply means. The needle valve member 9 is operated automatically by a pneumatic device consisting of a piston 13 on said valve working in a, cylinder 14 mounted on a bracket 15 on the valve casing. Said cyl-' California, have invented a inder is shown as provided with a head or cap 14E- provided with a tubular boss'or projection 16 to which is connected a pipe 17 which leads to any suitable part of the intake of the engine at which a partial vacuum is produced during each operative cycle of the engine, said pipe 17 communicating with the intake, preferably with the inlet pipe 20 of the manifold 20 at a point between the throttle valve 21 and the carbureter 22. A spring 23 within the cylinder It tends to press piston 13 to position to close needle valve 9 on its seat 8.

The fitting 1 is provided with air inlet passages 24: leading obliquely inward from the outside of the fitting to a central passage 25 communicating with the interior space 6 of the fitting and with the-interior of the manifold, so that air will be drawn in along with the water at each suction stroke of the engine in sufficient quantities to atomize the water.- To more efiectually draw in the air and atomize the water the passage 25 may be provided with a contracted portion 25 in the nature of a Venturi tube. Fitting 21' may further be provided with sight openings 26 andwith a cylindrical glass wall or tube 27 so as to expose the water as it drops from the valve opening 7 through the space 6 in such a manner as to provide a sight feed for the water.

The operation of the device is as follows :At each suction stroke of the engine there is a condition of partial vacuum or suction produced throughout theintake manifold and its connections, and on account of the relatively large area of the piston 13 as compared with the area of the needle valve member 9, said partial vacuum causes the piston 13 to rise and to open the needle valve. Water will then flow from supply pipe 12 through the passages 11, 5 and 7 and, dropping through the sight feed portion of fitting 1, will pass through the contracted passage 25 along with air drawn through the passages 24 at the same time. through the contracted passage 25' at high velocity, and suddenly expanding into the interior of the manifold forms a cloud or spray of finely atomized water which becomes so fully distributed and mixed with the incoming mixture of fuel and air passing through the manifold that the water is fully vaporized by the heat of the engine and of the gases. In the ensuworln'ng pressure.

ing combustion thepresence of the water vapor in the mixture of gases tends to keep down the maximum temperature while at the same time the expansive force of the superheated steam produced, maintains high The presence of the water vapor or steam in the cylinder also prevents carbonization and minimizes friction so that the amount of lubricating oil required is considerably reduced. By reason of the fine atomization of the water'and the proportioning of the water supply to the working requirements of the engine, Lam enabled to use an amount of water which is considerably in excess of the amount of fuel used, for example, with a thirty horse power engine using distillate, I have used as much as thirty-five to forty gallons of water for eight and one-half gallons of distillate.

, The water supply valve is opened once during each cycle of the engine, and to an extent depending on the vacuum at the inlet v pipe between the carbureter andthe throttle,

in the manner above described, and the amount of water admitted is therefore automatlcally proportioned or regulated according to the speed of the engine and the.

amount of charge used thereby, so that the water will not be supplied in excessive or in deficient amount at any speed, thereby avoiding overloading of the engine with water at low speeds or overheating of the engine due to insuflicient supply of water at high speeds. When the throttle is partly or wholly closed so. as to retard or stop the engine, the vacuum in the part of the intake between the throttle and the carbureter is lessened, so that the pneumatic device above described which is connected to that part of the intake, operates to close the water sup ply valve partly or wholly, and thus prevents water from being supplied in excesdue to overheating of the cyl- -atomizing water supply means therefor,

comprising a water supply valve having its outlet connected to the intake between the throttle and the engine, and said valve being provided with air inlet passage means at its outlet for supplying air along with the water passing through said outlet, and a control ling device forsaid valve having an operat-. ing connection to the intake of the engine, between the carbureter and the throttle, and responsive to suction in such connection to open said valve.

2. In combination with an internal compre-ignition in so far as thebustion engine having its intake provided with a carbureter and with a throttle between the carbureter and the engine, a water supply means, a valve for controlling admis' sion of water from said water supply means to said intake, said valve being provided with means tending toclose the same, and a pneumatic device operating to opensaid valve, and connected to the intake of the engine between the carbureter and the throttle, to open said valve in response to the condition of partial vacuum at such part of the intake, so as to control the water supply in accordance with the demands on the engine.

In testimony whereof 'I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 25th day of March, 1916. I a BENJAMIN B. BLOCK, 

